


All That Matters

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Grandmother Wood Universe [4]
Category: LOTR RPS
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-25
Updated: 2010-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-07 13:25:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean and Elijah visit Elijah's grandmother again on their first Christmas Eve after moving in together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All That Matters

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sean/Elijah Christmas Extravaganza 2007. It is a sequel to the story, The Wisdom of Frodo.

What a difference a day makes, or to be precise, 365 days. One year ago on Christmas Eve I'd abandoned logic and followed my heart, allowing it to lead me halfway across the country to Iowa. Fear as well as love had prompted the trip, fear that I'd lost the love of my life, and if I'd found out I had, I was going to risk everything to get him back. Now I was traveling to Iowa again, and the love of my life -- my Elijah -- was going with me.

I was surprised when Elijah asked if it would be all right with me if we went back to Iowa to celebrate another Christmas with his grandmother. Since this was our first official Christmas together, I'd hoped we could spend it in our own place, just the two of us, but when I saw how much it would mean to Elijah for us to go, I happily agreed. The more I thought about it, the more I wished I'd suggested it myself because I couldn't think of anything more romantic than going back to where our life as a couple began.

Just as it had been last Christmas Eve, snow was falling. It was only half past five, but already dark, so his grandmother's street was alive with Christmas lights, each house looking like illuminated gingerbread. Frank Capra couldn't have set the scene better, and I wouldn't have been surprised to see Jimmy Stewart running down the street, shouting out "Merry Christmas!" to passersby as he celebrated his wonderful life.

When Mrs. Wood answered the door and saw Elijah, her eyes lit up. I'd been so focused on Elijah when I first met her that I hadn't realized how much her eyes are like his. "Elijah! Sean!" she exclaimed. "I didn't expect you boys this early." I hadn't been called a boy for many years, not even by my mother, but hearing the term from Elijah's grandmother, I found it charming.

Elijah went in ahead of me, stopping to drop his messenger and overnight bags on the floor, then hanging his coat on the rack just inside the door. "We came early," Elijah explained, "so we'd have time to go pick out a tree."

"That was sweet of you, dear, but I wanted to have as much time with you as possible so I got one yesterday. Come see."

While Elijah followed his grandmother, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, setting my overnight bag on the floor and hanging my coat on a peg next to Elijah's. When I joined them in the living room, I saw Mrs. Wood had indeed gotten a tree. It was a larger than the one that had occupied the same spot last year, much fuller, with no gaps in its thick branches. On the floor beside the tree lay boxes of ornaments waiting in preparation for its decoration. "It's wonderful, Gram," Elijah told her, giving her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I see I'm getting the same Christmas present as last year," she said with her eyes sparkling the same way his always do when he's in the mood to play. At Elijah's puzzled expression, she touched his face. "No beard."

"I remember," Elijah told her, "but I didn't shave for you this time. You can thank Sean. He doesn't like the beard either, says it scratches him when we..." His words trailed off and I watched two pink splotches appear on his cheeks. Elijah rarely blushes, and it made him look so much like the eighteen year-old he'd been when I first met him that I couldn't help chuckling.

Mrs. Wood gave me a commiserate nod, then leaned close to me as if to share a confidence. "It's the same reason I never let Elijah's grandfather grow a beard," she said, but the gesture was wasted since she hadn't lowered her voice. Judging by the twinkle in her eye, I got the impression that she'd meant for Elijah to hear the remark.

Elijah looked absolutely mortified to hear his grandmother share even such a non-explicit anecdote about her sex life, so I tried to rescue him by changing the subject. "Spending this Christmas with you means so much to Elijah and me, Mrs. Wood," I said, offering her my hand. "Thank you for allowing us to come."

She didn't take my hand, but instead pulled me to her for a hug. "None of that, Sean," she scolded me. "You're family now."

"Then may I can call you _Gram_?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course," Gram beamed. "I consider you my grandson, too."

I was truly touched by that. "Thank you, Gram," I said, and kissed her cheek, assuring her, "No beard here either, not even a five o'clock shadow."

Gram clapped her hands in delight. "It's so wonderful having you boys here again. I'm going to get positively spoiled and expect you to come every year."

"I wouldn't mind, Gram," Elijah told her as I moved behind them to get a better look at the tree. Gram had her back to me and Elijah was looking over her shoulder at me when he added, "Last year was my best Christmas ever."

"We'll have lots of time to catch up," Gram said, "but I'm sure you'd like to freshen up first. I've made up the guest room for you, and there are clean towels in the bathroom. If there's something else you need, Sean, don't be shy about asking for it."

I went to the front door to get my bag, expecting Elijah to follow behind me, but when I turned back he was still with Gram, so I picked up his bags along with mine and carried them back into the living room. I saw right away that something had changed. Elijah looked uneasy and I wondered what had happened to make him feel that way. Finally he spoke, asking in a tentative voice, "You're putting Sean and me in the same room, Gram?"

I'll admit I'd prepared myself for the possibility that Gram would put us in separate rooms, or that I'd be spending the night on the couch, and I would have been perfectly fine with either arrangement. She was of a certain age, after all, born into a different world than her grandson, and since we'd attended Midnight Mass together last year, I knew she was a religious woman. I'd have bet she would have felt the same way about any unmarried couple spending the night under her roof, but her grandson bringing home another man for Christmas would be putting even the most tolerant grandmother to the test. Elijah's relationship with me was bound to be easier for Gram to accept in theory than in practice, and I felt very proud of Elijah that he was being so considerate and putting her feelings first.

But Gram surprised us. Taking me by the arm, she brought me around to stand beside Elijah, then putting a hand on each of our shoulders she proclaimed, "I know you think I'm old and don't know what's what---"

"Gram..." Elijah began.

"Don't interrupt me, young man," Gram admonished him, and Elijah dutifully shut his mouth. "I might be old, but I'm not so old that I don't remember what it was like to be young and in love the way you are. When it comes down to it -- what is it you young people call it, the bottom line? -- if two people are lucky enough to find each other in this world, no one has the right to keep them apart. We let so many things get in the way of what's really important. When you get to be my age you'll realize that in the end, love is all that matters." Suddenly the twinkle was back in her eyes and she winked at us. "Besides, it's been too long since anyone's set the mattress springs to squeaking in this house."

"Gram!" Elijah's face turned bright red, and it made Gram laugh. Her laugh was an infectious as Elijah's giggle and I couldn't help joining in.

She hugged us both and said, "I only hope I live to see the day when any two people in love will be allowed to get married."

"I don't suppose you'd consider running for political office, would you, Gram?" I teased. "We could use someone like you in Washington."

Gram threw up her hands. "Wouldn't that be something?" she mused. "But the only place I'm going is the kitchen so I can see to dinner. I hope you like fish, Sean."

"Very much," I told her.

As she walked away I heard Gram murmur, "Mrs. Wood goes to Washington."

Once we were up in the guest room I told Elijah, "Your grandmother's something else."

"Isn't she?"

"I never really got to know my own grandparents," I said. "Mom had no contact with her parents after they handed her over to the Rosses, and I never knew my Dad's folks. You're so lucky to have her."

"I only wish you could have met my Gramps, too. You'd have liked him, Sean, and I know he would have liked you. You're a lot alike: loving, honest, loyal. I wish his own son was as much like him as you are."

I'd been worried that being back in this house would start Elijah brooding, and I didn't want thinking about Warren Wood's shortcomings as a father to spoil this trip for him. I put my hand on his back and gently moved it up and down. "Don't go there," I said, "this is a time for celebration, not regret. You made the first move when called your father on your birthday. Now it's up to him to reach out to you."

"And if he doesn't?" Elijah asked.

"Then he's a fool who willingly gave up a chance to know his incredible son, but it will be his loss. Elijah, we've finally begun our life together, a life we thought we'd never have. I want us to only look ahead from now on. Can you do that for me?"

Elijah nodded, then surprised me by putting his arms around my waist and burrowing his face in curve of my shoulder. "I have to thank you," he said.

I kissed the top of his head, then putting my finger under his chin, lifted his face up to mine. "What for?" I asked gently.

"For agreeing to come here for Christmas."

"You don't have to thank me. I wanted to come as much as you did."

"But if we were home, tomorrow you could go and see Ally, Lizzie and Bella, be there when they open their presents."

I touched my lips lightly to his. "Lijah…baby…I don't want you to feel bad about that. We'll have other Christmases with the girls, a whole lifetime's worth. I think it's right we spend this one with your grandmother. After all, if it wasn't for you coming here last year, we wouldn't be together now."

"Even so, I know you wanted to spend our first Christmas alone at home."

I thought I'd been successful in keeping those feelings to myself, and was surprised that Elijah had picked up on them, but then I shouldn't have been. He's always been able to see straight into my heart. "Maybe at first," I admitted, "but now I'm very glad we're here."

"Me, too."

I cupped Elijah's ass then gave it a quick slap. "Then get moving, slacker. We've got a tree to decorate."

******

Gram set a wonderful table. We ate leisurely while Elijah, typically animated, brought her up to date on everything that had transpired since they'd been together last Christmas Eve. After we'd finished Gram's delicious fish dinner, we set to our task. We asked Gram to join in, but she said she preferred we do it and sat on the sofa to watch.

It had been a while since I'd decorated a Christmas tree from start to finish. In the last few years I'd done only the prep work, setting the tree in its stand and stringing the lights, then stepping back and letting Chris and Ally take over for the placing of the ornaments. Lizzie would be tall enough to reach the lower branches this year, so she'd be helping her sister and mother. I imagined Bella crawling over to the tree and Chris picking her up to keep her out of harm's way. Picturing the scene, I didn't feel the heart pangs I'd expected. I was happy with the decision I'd made to be with Elijah, and I didn't regret it for a moment.

As our decorating progressed, it was obvious Elijah's idea of tree-trimming was quite different from mine. I sized up the placement of each ornament with an eye toward the artistic, while Elijah just grabbed ornaments and placed them haphazardly. He looked like he was having such a wonderful time that I adopted his more spontaneous style, and soon the decorating became more like a game with Elijah and I trying to see who could place his ornaments the fastest, as if there was a prize for whoever finished first.

To no one's surprise, Elijah won. After placing the last ornament, a silver bell, he asked, "So what do you think, Gram?"

"It looks lovely."

Elijah stepped back to admire the finished product, looking momentarily pleased, then his smile suddenly became a frown. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There's no tinsel."

"Do we need it?" I questioned. "It looks great without."

"It's not a Christmas tree without tinsel," Elijah insisted. "I'm going to go get some."

Gram and I exchanged looks of resignation. "Drive carefully," she told him.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I asked.

"No, stay here and visit with Gram. I'll be back in twenty minutes." He got the car keys from her and was out the door before I could argue.

Once we were alone, Gram motioned me to join her on the sofa and when I had, she said, "I have to be honest and say I had my doubts about--"

"Me," I finished so she wouldn't have to. "It's all right, you can say it."

"It's nothing against you, Sean," she explained, "but you were a married man with three children, and even though I believed you loved Elijah, I wasn't sure you loved him enough to give up your family. I didn't want to doubt you, but I just didn't want to see my grandson get hurt." She patted my hand. "But I needn't have worried. Just looking at Elijah I can see how happy you've made him this last year."

"I plan to continue making him happy for the rest of my life."

"And I'm sure you will. Tell me, Sean, how have your parents taken it, your leaving your wife to be with Elijah? I imagine it must have come as a shock to them."

I nodded. "I know my folks knew I cared about Elijah, but I'm sure they were shocked to find out it was more than brotherly love. They've been supportive, even though I think they're still being cautious about believing it will last. Still, they want the same thing for me that you want for Elijah, for their son to be happy. And I am."

"What about your daughters and your—" Gram stopped abruptly, then finished with "the mother of your children?"

I smiled, knowing she'd meant to say _your wife._ "I've been extremely lucky. Chris could have made things difficult, but she's putting the girls first and we're sharing custody. Elijah and I have the girls staying with us every weekend. Things will have to be juggled if one or both of us is working and has to be away, but we'll work it out."

"And your girls? The change hasn't been too confusing for them?"

"Ally is the only one old enough to really understand what's going on, but she's known Elijah most of her life. My two youngest have known him their entire lives, and all three adore their _Uncle Lijah_. I'm lucky there, too, and very grateful."

"Elijah's told me about your girls and I can tell by the way he speaks about them that he couldn't love them more if they were his own."

"He's great with the girls, a real natural."

"I'm not surprised. I've always known he'd make a wonderful father." It was there only briefly, a sadness in her eyes which told me she knew that because Elijah had chosen to be with me, he'd never give her great-grandchildren. But she didn't voice her sorrow. She said only, "I hope I get the chance to meet them one day."

"I'd like that."

Elijah made it back from the store in record time, and we were soon tossing tinsel onto the tree's branches as if it were confetti. When we'd gone through the entire two packages he'd brought back with him, Elijah stepped back to admire the tree and once again asked his grandmother's opinion of our handiwork.

"It's perfect, dear. Until last year, I didn't realize how much I'd missed having a tree in my living room."

"It's not perfect yet," Elijah replied.

I frowned. "What's missing?"

"The presents underneath it, of course."

"Of course."

Because Elijah and I were going to wait to exchange our gifts to each until we were back home, we'd brought with us only the presents we'd gotten for Gram. Elijah bounded up the stairs to the guest room, retrieved the wrapped packages and placed them under the lit tree.

Gram rose from the sofa, announcing, "I have some packages of my own to add."

"Gram," Elijah protested, "you didn't have to—"

"Nonsense, dear. I was going to put them in the mail, but since this time you gave me some advance warning you were coming, I kept them here."

Seeing the packages under it did make a difference, making the tree look even more festive. Gram turned the television to a local station airing a Yule Log, then went into the kitchen to make us hot chocolate. We sat and drank it together, enjoying the tree as the fireplace logs crackled on the television screen and the carols played. Being in Iowa, with the tree and the falling snow, it was as if I was experiencing Christmas for the first time, Christmas the way it was meant to be experienced.

Time seemed to stand still in Gram's house, then Elijah checked his watch and asked her, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for church?"

Gram stood up and gathered our cups. "I don't think I'll be going tonight."

The concern on Elijah's face was immediate. He stood up and put his arms around her. "Are you feeling all right, Gram?"

"Don't worry, Elijah," she said, reaching up to touch his face, "I'm fine."

"Then why?" Elijah asked, not sounding convinced his grandmother wasn't ill.

"The cold weather gets harder on these old bones every year," Gram explained, "and they're telling me it's already gotten colder since you arrived. I think I'll stay in where it's warm."

"But you'll miss Midnight Mass."

"No I won't. I'll just watch it on television. It's televised from St. Patrick's every year." Elijah seemed satisfied with that, and moved to the television, but Gram said, "No, don't change the channel. I think I'll watch it upstairs in my room."

Elijah asked, "Wouldn't you like Sean and me to watch it with you?"

"We'd be happy to," I put in, but Gram shook her head.

"That's sweet of you both," she said, "but I'd like to watch alone. Why don't you two stay here and enjoy the tree, spend some alone time together?"

Elijah gave it one more try. "Are you sure, Gram?"

Gram kissed his cheek, then mine. "Very sure. Now you both relax and enjoy the evening. I'll come down to say goodnight after mass is over."

When we were alone I told Elijah, "I don't mind if you want to go up and try to get her to change her mind."

Elijah shook his head. ""No, Gram knows what she wants, and to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to going to mass myself, so I'm just as glad she decided to stay in."

"To be honest," I admitted, "so am I." I sat down again, pulled Elijah down onto the sofa beside me. "This has been a very special Christmas so far," I said as I put my arms around him and held him close. "The tree, the snow. I'm really glad we came."

"I am, too. It's kind of romantic, don't you think?"

"I do." Keeping one arm around Elijah, with my free hand I reached into my pocket, closing my fingers around the small box I carried there. I'd brought it with me, not sure whether I'd give it to him or wait until we were back home, but Elijah was right, it was romantic sitting there with him, so it seemed the perfect time and place for what I had in mind. "I have something for you," I said, taking the box out of my pocket and handing it to him.

Elijah looked surprised, then slightly annoyed. "Astin, I thought we were going to wait until we got home for presents."

"We are," I assured him. "This isn't really a Christmas present."

"It's not?" Intrigued now, Elijah looked at the box. "Should I open it?"

"That's the idea."

"Okay," Elijah said and lifted the lid. "It's a ring."

"Well duh," I laughed. "Do you like it?"

 

[ ](http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v110/InkGypsy/?action=view&current=AllThatMattersRing.jpg)

 

He studied the Celtic design surrounding the gold band. "Yeah, it's great, really different."

"I thought so, too, which is why I wanted you to have it. Read the inscription."

"It's inscribed?" Elijah asked. "Cool." He took the ring from its box and looked inside. I watched the intent look on his face as he read the inscription and was reminded of Frodo discovering the fiery letters inside Bilbo's ring. When he'd examined the ring thoroughly, Elijah looked up and asked, "Is it elvish?"

I shook my head. "It's Irish."

Elijah rolled his eyes in a gesture of self-deprecation. "I should have figured." He handed it back to me and asked excitedly, "What does it say?"

I wanted to get it right so I'd practiced for weeks, so much that I knew it by heart and didn't need to look inside the ring in order to read the inscription. "Beidh grá agam duit go deo," I recited in the accent of my ancestors. "It means _I will love you forever._"

Elijah looked like he might cry. "Oh Seanie…" He took the ring back from me and was about to put it on when I stopped him.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Ah, you can't put it on, at least not yet."

Elijah looked exasperated. "Your gift comes with conditions?"

"Just one."

"And that is?"

In answer, I reached into my opposite pocket and closed my fingers around the other box I'd brought with me. "You only get to wear that ring," I said, pointing to the one he held, "if I get to wear this one." I pulled my hand out of my pocket with a flourish and opened the box so Elijah could see that it, too, held a ring. It was identical to the one I'd given Elijah, but in a larger size to fit my thicker fingers.

Elijah is normally so sharp that I never have to finish a thought before he knows exactly what I'm talking about, so it was humorous to see him trying to put it together. "Seanie?" he asked uneasily, "what's going on?"

"Guess I'm going to have to do this the old-fashioned way," I said, rising from the sofa and going down on one knee. "Elijah Jordan Wood, will you marry me?" At Elijah's stunned expression I amended, "Well it will have to be a commitment ceremony for now, at least until things change." For the first time since I'd known him, Elijah was at a loss for words so I prompted, "I need an answer, Elwood."

When Elijah finally found his voice, he didn't say yes. Instead he said, "Before I answer, I have to know something."

I was a little taken aback, but asked, "What, baby?"

"Will you?" Elijah asked, his blue eyes deep and searching. "What the ring says? Will you love me forever?"

"I will," I promised. "To the end of my days and beyond."

Elijah pulled me to my feet and into his arms. "Then I'll marry you, Sean Astin." An unexpected giggle erupted from him, followed by a seemingly inappropriate addition that was pure Elijah. "Fuck, Irish -- I'd marry you this minute if I could!"

"I love you, Elijah."

"I love you, too, Seanie."

It seemed appropriate that when Gram came back down she caught us kissing again, but this time, we didn't stop. Gram only smiled, then without a word, turned and went back upstairs.


End file.
